This is hilarious but so sooo true... The Apple Product Cycle
- An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of an expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy.
- Some hardware geek, the sort who actually reads press releases from obscure Pacific Rim component manufacturers, posts a link to the press release in a Mac Internet forum.
- The Mac rumor sites spring into action. Liberally quoting "reliable" sources inside Cupertino, irrelevant "experts," and each other, they quickly transform baseless speculation into widely accepted fact.
- Eager Mac-heads fan the flames by flooding the Mac discussion forums with more groundless conjecture. Threads pop up around feature wish lists, favorite colors, and likely retail price points. In a matter of days, a third-hand, unsubstantiated rumor blossoms into a hand-held device that can do everything except find a girlfriend for a fat, smelly nerd.
- Apple issues it customary "we don't comment on possible future products" statement in response to inquiries about the hypothetical new product. Mac fanatics are convinced that they're onto something.
- The haters enter the fray to introduce fear, uncertainty and doubt. How expensive will the product be? Will it support Windows file formats? Will it work with my ten-year-old Quadra 840AV running Mac OS 8.1?
- As Macworld or the Worldwide Developer's Conference draws near, the chatter builds to a fever pitch. Rumor sites jockey for position, posting a new unverifiable, contradictory rumor every hour or so. eBay is flooded with six-month-old, slightly used gadgets as college students, underemployed web designers and independent musicians struggle to clear credit card space.
There is more at the website complete with pictures. Great stuff and so true... The do self-parody themselves sometimes.
